Valuable Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum in Damascus

Valuable statues and additional items have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.

The burglary was found on the start of the week, when staff apparently found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.

The six missing pieces were marble creations and originated to the ancient Roman times, a source told the media outlet.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to determine the "details surrounding the loss of a collection of exhibits", and that steps had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and surveillance.

The head of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that law enforcement were investigating the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles".

He added that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interviewed.

The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the significant historical artifacts in Syria.

It includes historical records dating back to the ancient era from historical site, where proof of the oldest known complete alphabet was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a third century religious building that was built at another archaeological site.

The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was transferred and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were affected or partly ruined during the civil war.

The IS organization blew up several ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, claiming that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a war crime.

Countless cultural items were also lost or taken from dig sites and museums.